The Keeper of the Stones

by M J Webb

  “I have decided, Nytig, that I need a volunteer.” said Vantrax smugly. “I need a special kind of volunteer. It has to be someone who will arouse no suspicions, someone who will appear completely believable to my enemies. Or at least, be seen as no physical threat to them. You will no doubt be delighted to learn that I have decided that volunteer, shall be you.” he stated, in a matter of fact kind of way that gave Nytig no opportunity at all to argue, or object to the decision.

  Sawdon suddenly erupted into uncontrollable laughter. The evil tyrant hadn’t discussed his idea with his most trusted warrior, but Sawdon now believed that he could guess at the King’s intent. The look of absolute horror on Nytig’s face at being selected for a task that would obviously be above and beyond his normal duties amused the Thargw. He thought it sweet revenge for the lack of respect the servant had shown him earlier and he was enjoying the moment. He leant forward, deliberately invading Nytig’s personal space and looking him straight in the eye, from an unnervingly close distance.

  “What is wrong little facqs?” he asked, mocking the shell-shocked servant and intentionally placing his teeth-filled face even closer to him. “You seem to have lost your colour all of a sudden, are you ill?” he enquired through his laughter.

  Nytig attempted a feeble response, but the sound he emitted was a pathetic squeak, barely audible to the warrior who was less than an inch away. “What? N-no… No my Lord Sawdon, I am fine.” He turned and looked despondently at Vantrax, having now resigned himself to the certainty of his unknown task, given Sawdon’s reaction. “I am here to do as you please, my King.” he said dejectedly.

  “Good Nytig. Excellent. I am glad that you realise it. Listen to me carefully. You, my foul-smelling servant, are going to Erriard forest!” said Vantrax, attempting to explain his plan.

  “Srr… Erriard?” interrupted a shocked Nytig, gulping hard at hearing the destination. “But the rebels are at Erriard. I...”

  “Yes, Erriard!” snapped Vantrax angrily. “Are you deaf? Do not interrupt me again, or it will be the last thing you do! You are going to the Forest of Erriard. And I am well aware of my brother’s location, you stupid... I do not need reminding of the thorn in my side that needs to be plucked! Listen to me and listen well. You will leave in a few moments with some of my Personal Guard. They will take you on horseback to within a safe distance of the forest, but out of sight of the rebel scouts. There you will dismount and go on foot, alone. Do you understand?” he asked the bewildered and frightened servant.

  Nytig stared up at Vantrax and then at Sawdon, it all seemed to him like a terrible nightmare. But somehow, he knew he wasn’t going to wake up this time and find that he was dreaming. He began to shiver at the thought of what the King would say next. “I- I think so… I mean, no.” answered Nytig, trying to be honest but unsure as to the correct response to the question.

  Vantrax became even more frustrated and annoyed at his servant’s lack of intelligence. “You stupid rachtis! You are to make believe you have escaped from my fortress. You will run as if being pursued by my soldiers. They will follow you just far enough behind to make it look as if they are really chasing you. Naaa... You dim witted ptol! You will run straight into the arms of my enemy. The rebels will have no choice but to take you to my brother. Once there, I expect you will be questioned, may then tortured.”

  Nytig swallowed hard once more at the mention of torture. He was no hero, he’d never wanted to be one. He wasn’t looking forward to ‘walking into the lion’s den’, but that is exactly where he now seemed destined to go. It had all been decided in his absence, he hadn’t been consulted and he knew he really didn’t have a choice in the matter. There was nothing he could do but accept his fate, if he wanted to stay alive. He knew his master well, and he was certain that King Vantrax would not tolerate disobedience. He glanced at Sawdon with hate-filled eyes, the warrior was still laughing hard at the obvious discomfort on his face. King Vantrax continued to deliver his instructions.

  “…You are not to ‘confess’ too early under torture, Nytig. That may not seem believable to the enemy. You are to hold out bravely for a while, before revealing that I am personally at the head of my Northern Army. Tell them that I command, and that we are fast approaching Erriard forest, having marched all through the night with my tired and wearisome force.” he said, deliberately slowing his speech and emphasising his words so that Nytig would understand his meaning.

  “But, I… I do not…” began Nytig, still unsure of the reasoning behind the plan, despite Vantrax’ best efforts.

  “Raaarghh! By the…! How stupid can one slave be? Listen! I am the bait that will force my brother to fight. He will not be able to resist the chance to face me after all this time, I guarantee it!” Vantrax screamed in exasperation.

  “Excellent!” shouted Sawdon triumphantly, now becoming awash with excitement at the very real prospect of battle. “Artrex will surely fight if he knows you are there. He is a warrior. He will not be able to deny himself the opportunity of facing you on the field of honour. Rarr! A clever plan.”

  “Quite.” replied Vantrax, staring at Nytig to ensure he was satisfied that his servant finally understood. “Now, you will keep your eyes open for the stones, Nytig. If you do see them, you are to attempt to steal them and escape. Bring the stones to me. But at the very least, you will locate their whereabouts so that we will be able to retrieve them once we have defeated their army. Srrr, you will have to have some plausible reason for escaping, for running away from Heron Getracht. Ahh! I suggest you tell them that I am a terrible, vicious master who treats you badly. And that you cannot stand working for me one day longer. Can you do that?” he asked sincerely.

  Nytig looked back at his master, he knew that his own thoughts and opinions were completely immaterial at this stage, the plan was already decided upon and he could do nothing to change it. He certainly wasn’t going to start being honest with Vantrax now. That would achieve nothing but to accelerate his own demise. No, honesty was the last thing on Nytig’s mind at this point.

  “I... I will try sire.” he answered feebly, before turning and trudging slowly away, with Sawdon’s continual laughter still ringing in his ears.

  The mighty Thargw watched Nytig exit the room, his laughter subsided as the unfortunate servant disappeared from sight. After a second or two, he spoke openly to Vantrax. “Tell me sire, do you honestly think that halfwit inbreed will do as he is told? He is not the most reliable of servants. I can never understand why you tolerate him? Is it really wise to trust him with such an important task?” he asked, in a calm, deep voice.

  “He has no cheed wn the matter, Sawdon. If he values his life that is. You are right though, he is not the best servant I could have, and his personal hygiene is atrocious. But that is exactly why he is expendable. And believable. In any event, my soldiers will kill him if he attempts to run. And once in the hands of the rebels, he will only be conveying the truth; that I am personally leading my army and that I stand before them at last, ready to do battle. I am simply ensuring that my brother is made aware of my presence. After that, his desire for a reckoning and wish to put an end to this conflict between us, will do the rest. That, and his ego. He will fight, Sawdon. He has to! And once battle has commenced, then strength, numbers and cunning will win the day. And maybe a spell or two.” said Vantrax ominously, as he suddenly erupted into fiendish laughter.

  Sawdon laughed along with his King. His mind began wandering, making battle plans that he couldn’t wait to enact. Their laughter faded out naturally and Vantrax placed his hand on Sawdon’s shoulder in a rare show of comradeship.

  “Come now, Sawdon. Let us go and prepare. You and I must ride to Strymos immediately. We have to give him the good news that he is relieved of his command. Now you may get excited, Sawdon. Now you can make your plans for the destruction of all those who would oppose me. We have waited for this day for a long, long time. The game has begun. Our destiny awaits!”

  Chapter 17r />
  Night of 14/15th August – Rebel Camp, Erriard Forest - Rhuaddan

  Nytig lay snivelling on the forest floor at King Artrex’ feet. His hands and feet were bound and his head was lowered. The small band of rebels and their new allies gathered around for a closer look at their prisoner. It was the horseman who had thrown Nytig down onto the floor who spoke first.

  “Gerada Knesh Corian. My Liege. My company and I caught this… Srrr… ‘Creature’ on the outskirts of Erriard. He was running away from a group of horsemen, four of them I counted, coming from the direction of Heron Getracht. They stopped as we appeared and returned swiftly in the same direction when we entered the forest. We questioned this srr… Rachtis, briefly. He claims to have escaped from the great fortress. He says he is the personal servant of Vantrax himself. We thought...”

  “He is!” interrupted Verastus suddenly, glaring viciously at the heap on the floor. “Lift your head, wretch!” he ordered furiously. Nytig lifted his head slowly, enabling everyone to see his face. “I thought so. His name is Nytig, he is the servant of Vantrax. I saw him when I was being ‘questioned’ at the fortress. He was laughing! Mocking me, even as I screamed out in pain. The snivelling derof seemed to be enjoying it!” He gave Nytig a swift and violent kick in his ribs. The servant yelped in pain and curled back up into a ball to protect himself from any further attacks.

  Jake and Ben moved immediately to restrain Verastus, taking an arm each and pulling him away from the prisoner with great difficulty, as he continued attempting to kick out in anger. “Alright! That’s enough!” shouted Jake firmly at his new friend. “Whatever he’s done in the past, he’s now unarmed and bound. It’s not right. I know you’ve suffered at his and his master’s hands, but...”

  Jake was interrupted by Verastus. “No, no, you are right, Jake. I apologise to you all, I am sorry, it will not happen again.” he stated. “I do not know what came over me. I am not usually that ill-disciplined. Perhaps just seeing his face brought all the hatred back? But I am fine now. I assure you, you can release me.”

  Ben and Jake looked at each other briefly, then they released their hold on their comrade and each took a little step backwards. “Aw, think nothing of it, big man.” Ben said to Verastus, sensing the awkwardness of the situation and doing his best to relieve the tension. “We all lose it from time to time. Why I remember once, me and Jake were...”

  “Yes, yes, you can bore us all some other time, Ben. But I think for now, we oughta question this Nytig, see what he knows?” interrupted Jake confidently, the teenager once again acting naturally, and with some degree of authority.

  It was another unrehearsed and unplanned development. Jake had undergone a rapid transition from the young schoolboy he’d been earlier that day. It was almost as if a switch had been thrown inside of him, and the boy had become a man in an instant. The change hadn’t gone unnoticed by Artrex and Knesh.

  “Yes, Jake.” stated the King. “Spoken like a true leader. We have to learn what he knows. Knesh!” he said firmly, looking invitingly at his friend.

  Knesh nodded an acknowledgment and hoisted Nytig off the floor with one powerful movement of his right arm, lifting him up into the air and throwing him down onto a nearby tree stump. The speed and violent nature of the action winded the servant, his fear intensified and his whole body began shaking as the giant, imposing figure of Knesh Corian now towered menacingly over him.

  “Now, listen to me, you son of a Dzorag!” threatened Knesh, in a terrifyingly loud voice, his head so close to Nytig’s that his command almost burst the servant’s eardrums. Nytig shifted awkwardly in his seat and then nervously lifted his eyes to meet those of his interrogator. “I have had the good fortune to live for many years. I am a plain and simple soldier. Nothing more and nothing less. I do not possess many skills that I can boast of. I can kill. And I know how to make people talk. It is your choice now to make, which of my skills do I use today?” he asked in deadly earnest.

  Nytig was now shaking so badly that his teeth were beginning to chatter loudly. He was petrified and he answered the warrior without hesitation. “I... I will tell you anything you want to know!” he snapped, his voice trembling with fear.

  “You cannot trust him!” screamed Verastus suddenly. “He is Vantrax’ servant and he will lie!” he warned.

  “Gerada. Father, I think Verastus is right. This is obviously a trick. Vantrax has sent him here and we cannot believe anything he says.” said Princess Zephany in agreement, as she stared loathingly at Nytig.

  Knesh looked straight into Nytig’s eyes also. His intense stare unnerved Nytig even further, the brief silence which accompanied it, deliberately employed by Knesh, only serving to exacerbate his fear. “Well slave? You say you have escaped from Heron Getracht? Tell us then, what is Vantrax planning? What is he doing? How many soldiers does his Gerada command in the north? Where are they now? How many warriors are guarding him and the fortress? Speak! Or lose your tongue!” demanded Knesh forcefully.

  “He… He is not there!” yelled Nytig, deliberately acting as if he was divulging the world’s greatest secret. “He has left the fortress to command the Northern Army with Sawdon. They march through the night. They will reach Erriard forest by daybreak. You…”

  “They march toward us? And Vantrax leads them? You are sure?” asked Artrex, interrupting Nytig as his excitement grew. He was eager now to learn as much as he could from his captive, even though he knew he couldn’t trust a single word he was saying.

  “Yes.” replied the servant, looking straight into the King’s eyes. “He hopes to meet you in battle. He grows weary of this never-ending chase, he desires an end to this conflict, and he means to destroy you all.”

  Artrex fell silent for a moment, digesting the information he had just been given and considering his alternatives. After a short while, he glanced at Knesh.

  “Take him away!” ordered Knesh suddenly, to the soldiers who had brought Nytig to the camp. They hoisted him up onto his feet and whisked him away sharply to another area of the forest, still bound and groaning loudly from all his aches and pains. Everyone remained silent, they were all looking to the King for direction, but he was still thinking.

  “Forgive me for saying so, sire... But you should continue with your plans and go south.” stated Verastus, eventually breaking the silence. “This news changes nothing. Except that it may hasten the journey we must take. The Northern Army is strong. Too strong...”

  “Yes. But they will have marched all night, Verastus. They will be tired. We have good ground for ambush, and… Forgive me father, we will finally have the chance to kill my uncle! We cannot miss the opportunity, now that he is away from his protective fortress. We have to fight!” interrupted Princess Zephany enthusiastically.

  Once again, Artrex didn’t respond straight away, he rubbed his chin with his right hand as he thought. Finally he spoke.

  “Thank you daughter. I have listened to all you have said. And my new friend, Verastus, your opinion is noted also. Though I did not ask for it, and I do not believe I ever agreed to go south. I believe in fact, that I agreed to nothing at all. And you, Keeper? What do you and Ben say? Would you fight?” asked Artrex, eager to hear all the opinions on offer before finally deciding on a course of action.

  “King Artrex, I can’t speak for Ben, but my priority has to be the stones. We have to restore them, or we’ll never get home. I know that’s selfish, but I’m trying my best to be honest with you. My grandfather is probably dead I know, but if there’s any chance at all to save him, no matter how small, I have to try. I have to know!” replied Jake emotionally. He glanced briefly at Ben before continuing to speak. “But then… I know that he would want me to do the right thing by you and your people. I’m more convinced than ever, that our destinies are linked. I know we’ll need your help and guidance if we’re ever going to get home. And therefore, whatever you decide, I promise I’ll follow you. Because I believe with all my heart that it’s the right thing to d
o. Even though it may delay our return. For better or worse King Artrex, and I’m really not sure I fully understand why, I am with you!”

  All eyes now turned to Ben. He was still looking at Jake, trying to decide how he felt, so he didn’t notice that the others were all staring at him. Jake’s eyes shifted to the side several times to tell Ben that he was being watched and finally, it dawned on him.

  “What? Oh yes, well… What he said!” Ben shouted, pointing directly at Jake.